Montrezl Harrell just became a part of the Los Angeles Lakers squad this season during free agency. He was drafted in 2015, where he spent two season playing for the Houston Rockets. After that, Harrell was in Los Angeles but was playing for the Los Angeles Clippers for the last three seasons. Even though Harrell has only been playing in the NBA for five seasons, he is a very seasoned player. Harrell is becoming a consistent player and can be beneficial to the Lakers squad. In fact, Harrell won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award for the 2019-2020 season.
The colors look good on you, @MONSTATREZZ pic.twitter.com/Bwc3BVxGQT
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 10, 2020
Montrezl Harrell’s Growth
When looking at Harrell’s career stats, the growth throughout his career is clear. As just a 22 year old rookie, Harrell only averaged 3.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 9.7 minutes per game. Then his stats increased from there. In just two seasons, Harrell was averaging double-digit points per game while averaging less than 20 minutes per contest. Last season, when winning the Sixth Man of the Year Award, Harrell had the best season of his career. He averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 27.8 minutes per game. It seems as though Montrezl is a prime example of using his experience to grow. Harrell may not have been a star when he first started but his hard work and effort seemed to pay off.
Harrell does not play a lot of minutes but he is quite efficient with his court time. The spark that Harrell provides off the bench is something that can shift the momentum into the Lakers’ favor. To be a sixth man, the attitude of making a difference is so important. Harrell is not pouting about not starting the game but instead figures out a way to impact the game while he is on the floor. Knowing his role may have been a factor in becoming the player he is now. Once Harrell can accept the fact that he will not be starting every game and will be earning his minutes, he can focus on doing his best during his playtime.
Harrell and the Lakers
With the Lakers, the team’s fanbase was excited to welcome Harrell to the team. The improvement and effort that Harrell displayed does not go unnoticed in the NBA and is admired by players. The Lakers are a talented squad who know how to make each other better. If Harrell plays with the talent on the Lakers, there is no way he will not make an impact. While finding his role may be a little difficult in the start of the season, it is a matter of adjustments. So far this season, in 11 games, Harrell is averaging 12.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 24.2 minutes per game. While these numbers may not be as high as last season, it is still early in the season. Harrell still has time to adjust and find his role within the Lakers team. The Lakers’ fan base and organization should be happy to have Harrell as a part of the team now. If his statistics indicate anything, this year should be his best yet.
Statistics taken from basketball-reference.com.
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